Fear in a Handful of Dust: Interstitials
by Katie Havok
Summary: Tina hovers uncertainty, gnawing her lip and fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Newt feels his eyebrows creep into his hairline. She has no reason to be here other than that delicate, tentative thing they've been skirting for months, and in this moment he cannot find a single good reason to turn her away. [Companion piece to "Fear in a Handful of Dust."]
1. Chapter 1

Warning: _**smut,**_ and very hot **_smut_** at that! This is a companion piece to my story "Fear in a Handful of Dust" and fills in a few of the blanks scenes, which all happen to be _**smut**_. This was originally published on Ao3 on January 26th, 2017 and is being uploaded here for the sake of my own ego.

* * *

There is a crack running through the ceiling. Newt has grown intimately familiar with it in his time spent alone in this bed, and it is a comforting ritual to run his eyes over it. It soothes him and distracts him from other, less appropriate matters. Distracts him from her.

 _Tina_.

In the two months since he's been back, they've revolved around each other in an ever-tightening orbit. He had made the first move, all those years ago, by reaching out and initiating physical contact. After that, he had left it up to her because he truly could not fathom that she would reciprocate his hesitant feelings. She had surprised him by welcoming him back into her life and surprised him further in initiating the next step by kissing him. That invitation had led to other, less innocent ones, and now he was _here_ , in this bed, wide awake and glowing like a torch in the dark.

There's a rustle of fabric at the door, and he looks down to find her standing there.

Tina hovers uncertainty, gnawing her lip and fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Newt feels his eyebrows creep into his hairline. She has no reason to be here other than that delicate, tentative thing they've been skirting for months, and in this moment Newt cannot find a single good reason to turn her away. He lifts the blanket in invitation, face carefully blank as she crawls in beside him.

Tina presses close, a warm and welcome weight. His hands find the buttons on her shirt at the same time her mouth finds his, and their kiss is far from innocent as he divests her of her garment. His own top follows soon after, and Tina moves to straddle his waist while her hands course over the lines of his chest and shoulders, and the musculature of his arms.

Her eyes shine in the dark as she smiles and traces the network of imperfections on his chest. Tina makes a hungry sound when she reclaims his mouth, Newt's hands move unerringly to the waistband of her pants. He hesitates until she nods and presses further into him, breath stuttering across his skin. He slides his hands beneath and over the curve of her ass, cupping and kneading her cheeks as she writhes against him.

Tina breaks their kiss with a ragged gasp, leaning back to shimmy out of her pajama bottoms. She wears nothing underneath, and her skin glows like moonstone in the faint light of the room. Newt takes a moment to appreciate her appearance, the storm-cloud of hair around her face, the deep eyes that shine for _him_ , the ripe thrust of her firm breasts, the gentle swell of her hips. His eyes descend further to the shadowed apex of her thighs, and he groans in heady anticipation.

Tina lifts her hips and removes his pants without preamble, undoing the fastening of his underwear before peeling them off. Tina tosses them both over the side of the bed and then slithers down his body until she's face-to-cock with him. He watches as she carefully examines his length, trying very hard not to smile at the freckles there, before soft hands wrap around him. Newt can't smother the growl that claws out of his throat or the way his head digs into the pillow. Her curious explorations ignite and tease in turn, and when her small pink tongue flicks out to taste him, he fists the sheets helplessly.

Tina works with enthusiasm, and her eager ministrations bring him very near the edge. Only reciting the properties of Swooping Evil venom keep him anchored until he pushes her away, a little desperately. She rises with a self-satisfied smirk and crawls up to straddle his waist. She leans forward to peck his mouth, then her hand takes his and leads it to the mysteries between her legs. Moving slowly, keeping her eyes on him and giving him time to refuse, she guides his fingers and allows him to _touch_.

Newt brushes against the damp, dark curls, and pushes past the humid swell of her outer lips. He rotates his wrist and flicks his fingers until the outer petals bloom and he encounters wet heat. She hums encouragingly when he drags along her cleft, and again when he sinks a finger into her. Tina is slick and hot and _willing_ so he adds another finger and sets his pace. She tightens deliriously with an animal sound as a tremor works through her.

Tina arches her back and reaches behind her to take him in hand but Newt hardly notices, intent on pleasing her and cataloging her responses. He angles his wrist and adds another finger while his thumb seeks her swollen nub, nestled in her folds. She _jolts_ and cries out when he sweeps over it, and he realizes through the haze that they are both perilously close to shattering _and he doesn't want that_.

Newt sucks in two sharp breaths and pulls his hand from her. Tina makes a bereft sound, which quickly turns into a whine when he raises his fingers to his mouth and sucks them in. He cleans them thoroughly, playing up the action of his tongue until she pants. He uses his hands to pull her close, urging her thighs over the plane of his stomach and chest until she's straddling his shoulders, her mound positioned directly over his mouth, and she gives a shocked exhale.

Newt looks into her eyes and raises his eyebrows, a silent plea for permission. Tina's breathing is unsteady as her hands find his hair, nails raking his scalp. He focuses inward for a moment, relishing the sensation. Tina nods twice, jerkily. He gently encourages her to settle until her mound alights on his mouth, silky-soft and damp. Newt wraps his arms around her hips while he unfurls his tongue, tentative until he can ascertain her reaction, but with growing confidence as she keens and jerks and rolls her hips.

Tina is wet and salty-sweet and deliriously _pink_ here, even in the low light, and Newt happily sets his tongue to swirling and plundering her secrets. She jerks away and he follows, until her hands find his forehead and _presses_. He clues in and keeps his head still while she rocks against him, riding his face and spreading her moisture all over his mouth. A tremble takes her thighs and spreads throughout her body, so he tightens his grip on her to support her weight. He starts flicking the tip of his tongue in counterpoint to her movements, and she moans loudly and grinds down.

The force of her orgasm sees her sagging against him, shuddering, and she gasps his name while he catches her and breathes evenly through his nose. Newt can feel her fluttering against his mouth, and warm nectar flows from within. He laps it up as she calms, and when she finally pulls away, his face is obscenely wet. Tina voices a shaky laugh and touches his cheek to perform a gentle cleansing charm.

She trembles as she languidly moves down his body, taking the time to taste each silver scar. Her tongue finds his flat nipples and runs over them, causing him to hiss, before tracing the topography of his freckles. Her mouth is warm and humid and he trembles as she suckles him. Tina moves lower, to where he juts from himself like an overwrought exclamation point. She bends and sucks his foreskin into her mouth, lipping it gently. A change in angle has her taking him in entirely, her delicate lips stretched around him and she bobs once, twice. Newt snaps his head while frantic hands catch her hair, and she halts. There's no mistaking her pleased smirk when she looks at him and shifts.

Tina moves quickly to position herself over where he aches. Her legs frame his hips as she uses her hands to guide him against her. She relaxes and settles until the tip butts against her entrance, and Newt grits his teeth at the contact. Tina halts her downward progress and leans forward to kiss him deeply, taking the breath from his lungs and breathing new life into the rest of him. They kiss until her hips begin to twitch independent of her, which is when she breaks away to look into his face. She's worrying her lip again, suddenly doubtful, so Newt settles an unsteady hand on her hip and does his best to reassure.

"Yes, Tina, _please_..." he manages, his voice a dry croak. Tina must, for she nods and glides backward to resume her stance over him. A moment to breathe together, then her hands clutch his and she sinks down, fitting his length into her with one smooth slide. She descends until they are flush together, groaning in unison. Tina plants her hands against his chest and sighs happily, while Newt's hands fly to her hips and take hold.

Newt takes measured breaths through his nose, hands clamped down to prevent her from moving. She is tighter and hotter than he ever imagined, and her slick tension has him skirting the edge already; one wrong move could tumble him over, and then they'd both finish the night unsatisfied. Newt closes his eyes and clenches his jaw until he feels more in control, and lifts a hand to cup her breast, tweaking the nipple. She sighs and moans and grinds down, and the sensation chases sparks through him. Newt relaxes his hold on her hips as Tina begins a slow and sensuous roll against him.

She rocks to adjusts their rhythm and angle until they can feel the full slide of his cock in her, setting nerves alight. Newt's skin erupts into goosebumps when she leans back and plants both hands into his thighs, trading her swaying glide for scandalously bouncing up and down on him. The impact sends delicious shock-waves through her breasts, and Newt watches them sway through heavy-lidded eyes, thoroughly transfixed.

Tina's mouth falls open in a shocked 'O' as her hair sways around her face, and Newt lifts an unsteady hand to push it behind her ears. She whips her head around and takes his fingers into her warm mouth, sucking them indecently. Newt growls deep in his chest when his cock twitches in warning. Tina releases his fingers with a popping sound and grins down at him, and Newt is overcome with the sudden _need_ to see her undone.

His hands find her ass, clenching and squeezing the muscles there before moving down to clutch at her white thighs. He moves upward to trail his callouses over her breasts and stomach, and her skin ripples into goose-flesh in the wake of his touch. Newt grasps and cups and pinches until she is trembling and making shocked sounds, and her head falls back to expose the beautiful line of her throat. It is white and supple and he needs to _taste_ so he waits until she falters, smooth rhythm giving way to building desperation, then hauls himself upright and wraps his arms around her, pulling her roughly onto his cock and tonguing the juncture of her throat and shoulder.

Tina makes a delirious sound, her blunt nails sinking into the skin of his shoulders. Newt bares his teeth at her throat and licks a hot trail to her ear, sucking until she's moaning steadily and shuddering over him. Her cunt tightens around him spasmodically, causing his breath to catch with every thrum, and he knows she's close. He recognizes that this new position doesn't give them the same intense angle, so he leans back and allows her to fuck him into the mattress.

Tina strains above him, bordering on desperate, and her eyes seek and hold his with frantic intensity. Thinking takes an immense effort and speaking even more, but he somehow manages. Newt moves his hand until his fingers find her clit and _rub_ , a gentle counterpoint to the slide of his length in her. She closes her eyes and moans happily, stomach muscles jumping as a slow tremor starts in her core and spreads outwards.

"I've got you, Tina," he grits out, and her pace ramps up until her head drops forward, her mouth opens, and the most delicious sound he's ever heard clambers out. Her body quivers atop him and her cunt _clamps_ around him and her inhibitions are gone when she comes, fingernails dragging over his skin and moaning musically. Her intense trembling stalls her momentum until Newt takes over, thrusting into her heat as she pulses around him, a flush infusing her chest. He feels the warmth of it when she finally collapses forward, body thrumming with completion.

Tina breathes into his skin until she's calmed, his gently rocking hips swaying them together. She lifts her head and kisses him, slow and deep, until he gasps against her mouth. Her hips twitch and she makes a soft noise, and he knows she's recovered. Newt reaches to clasp her hand, pressing their palms together and twining their fingers. He is trembling on his own precipice but the intensity of _her_ release sees him overcome with gratitude, with joy for sharing it with him, and he can't keep the emotion or the words to himself.

"You are remarkable," he sighs, and her smile is a tremulous, disbelieving thing. He jerks his head into a nod and swallows, throat suddenly dry. Tina examines his face and firms her smile, then uses their twined hands to leverage herself upright. She bears down to tighten around him and whatever platitudes he was about to share are lost in an animal groan, mind wiped suddenly blank. He squeezes his eyes shut when she repeats the action, but snaps them open when she speaks.

"You're very sweet," she murmurs, and she sounds like she means it. She tightens again and rocks her hips, and Newt dissolves into sighs while she picks up her pace, voice flagging. "But now I think I...I think I'd like to see _you_ c-come... _oh_!"

Newt digs his elbows and heels in for leverage and snaps his hips. She cries out and grapples against him as he does it again, and again, setting a punishing pace while driving into her. Tina hangs on helplessly and voices continuous cries until they're both frantic and straining, teetering on the brink. Tina whines and her cunt tightens around him in a second, less intense orgasm, just as the first surge of climax submerges him, a molten flux that flashes in his core and flows outward. Newt growls her name and Tina drops to kiss him viciously, knocking their teeth together.

The pain is a pleasant counterpoint to the devastation of gathering release, and they maintain the kiss as he surges into her. Newt grabs her hips hard enough to bury his fingertips and drags her down onto him, slamming them together until punishing thrusts splinter into senseless motion. His cock twitches and swells and he breaks away to _moan._ Tina catches his gaze and holds it while she _squeezes_ , and that's all it takes.

Newt's orgasm slams into him hard enough for stars to burst behind his eyes. He cries out as his arms clutch Tina convulsively, dragging her into him. Their desperate pitch disintegrates while Newt surrenders to the conflagration in his veins. Tina gasps into his ear as they thrum together, and Newt adds his own sounds, splintered sobs and garbled fragments of her name. Her cunt suckles and quivers as he spends himself, pressed as deep as he can go, and the primal satisfaction of that act wrenches another animal sound out of him.

Then it's over, and the scaffolding of their bodies collapses.

The lay in a sweaty pile of limbs until their breathing regulates. Tina eventually shifts and they wince in unison when he slithers out of her, overly-sensitive flesh rubbing unpleasantly. She is sloppy-wet down there, and they lay in a sticky puddle but neither of them can muster the strength to physically clean it up so Newt sleepily flicks his fingers and mumbles a quick _Tergeo_. It works well enough, for he no longer feels quite so dirty, and Tina hums.

Tina mutters her thanks against his mouth before kissing him slowly. Newt is _exhausted_ and fading fast, but he rallies the energy to do a thorough job of it. They part eventually and Tina sighs in contentment as she lays her head on his chest. He distantly feels her pull the blankets to cover them both, then she drapes herself over him and he is _warm_.

Sleep claims him quickly.

* * *

Newt wakes to her eyes and fingers on him, tracing over the imperfections on his chest. Her fingers are delicate as they skate between the constellations that mar him, and it _tickles_ but he doesn't have the heart to make her stop. Her hand halts eventually, resting on the skin over his heart, and he lays his hand on hers and presses it close.

Tina's smile is slow and languid in the morning light, and her kiss is the same. They press their mouths together and breathe in unison until the feelings it provokes cannot be contained and hands start to wander. Tina was a nymph in the dark of night, focused on her desires and willing to take what he offered up so freely. Here in the light of dawn, she is a radiant Madonna, and he stares in worship until she looks away, flushing.

Tina's skin glows like abalone in the light, and he's taken with the urge to taste every inch of it so he does, starting with her mouth and working his way down. Her nipples are a pink delight and he spends extra time there, laving them until her back arches and she _breathes_ her pleasure. Then further down, over the creamy divot of her stomach, kissing the thatch of dark hair at the apex of her thighs, and into the crease of her legs.

Where he freezes and sucks in a shocked breath.

Her hips and legs are covered in bruises, stark in the morning light. There are distinct bite marks where he had nipped her before allowing her to settle on his face. The clear marks of his fingers are inky against the tendons of her inner thigh, and at her hips, there are discolorations in the precise shape of his hand, purple and blue and _awful_.

Tina lifts her head from where it was dug into the pillow, and her eyes are liquid when she looks at him. "Newt," she says slowly. She watches his eyes flick to her bruises, sees his horrified expression, and blows a strand of hair out of her face. "Newt," she says again, and now her voice is gentle. She reaches down to touch his hair. "You don't need to worry about it. I bruise _easy_. This isn't your fault."

He isn't convinced and it must show, because she presses on his scalp, guiding his mouth toward her skin. "Just kiss me," she breathes. "Just kiss me and that'll make it better."

Newt hesitates for only a moment before resuming his ministrations, and by the time he's kissed and nibbled down to her ankle and back, she's clenching the sheets and arching against him. He hovers over her mound and teases the dark curls with a calloused finger, grinning when she hisses and spreads her legs. He cups her but she is impatient, so he spreads her lips and draws a finger through the pearly moisture that gleams within. She's already slick when he fits his thumb against her clit and sinks in two fingers, setting a firm tempo. Tina's head falls back as her mouth falls open, and before long she's drawing herself tight and clenching around him.

Tina keens once, short and sharp, before jerking her hips away and baring her teeth at him. "Not like that," she gasps, and her hands find his shoulders and tug him close. She falls back and he climbs up to cover her with his body, her legs wrapping around his narrow waist. "Like this," she manages, and then: "Please, I want it like this, I want—" She's too keyed up to talk, body trembling as she slides her arms around his shoulders, and he shushes her while moving in for a kiss.

The kiss is meant to distract, but it instead stokes the flames when she takes his bottom lip and _bites_ , hard enough to taste blood. He groans and braces his palms beside her head while hot, clever hands wrap around his length and direct him to where she's wet and ready for him. She cants her hips and aims his blunt tip directly against herself. They share a moan when he rolls his hips and plunges into her in one smooth stroke.

Her legs buttress his waist and her arms tighten around his shoulders until he's flush against her, breasts crushed between them. She releases a wheezing exhale and then claims his lips and he's _moving_ , rolling his hips into her slowly enough to savor but hard enough to jolt them both. She breaks the contact to roll her head back against the sheets, low sounds vibrating through the plane of her chest and directly into his ear. Newt suckles the flesh there, flicks his tongue to taste her sounds, and then bites, leaving fresh bruises.

She is eager and pliant under him, stunning in her wantonness, and Newt longs to please and dominate in equal measure. More than either, he wants to see and _feel_ her come, so he surrenders himself to the sheer carnality of his urges and _lets go_. He's functioning entirely on instinct when he latches his mouth to the crook of her neck and sucks, then slides the burr of his chin over her breasts, leaving a trail of inflamed pink skin in its wake. It is a claiming gesture, intended to mark her as his.

Tina hooks a leg over him and cries out artlessly, lips sensuously parted in bliss. The sight is languid and immeasurably beautiful, and he carefully commits it to memory and kisses her again, dipping his tongue into her mouth and claiming her sounds. She jerks her head away and it's " _Newt, Newt, Newt_ ", a punctuation-less refrain on her tongue, followed shortly thereafter with a liquored " _Yes, yes, yes_ ," and she's coming around him, clenching him tight and splayed gloriously across the pillows.

Newt's own building release is a knot at the base of his cock, winding tighter with every throaty sound he wrings out of her. She crests under him and then relaxes, her calves sliding from around his waist to rest at his side. He gathers her legs and hooks his elbows beneath her knees, changing the angle of his thrust. Tina rocks her pelvis to better receive him and tangles her fingers in his hair, tugging hard enough to elicit a grunt from him.

" _Tina_ ," he manages, and she nods and tugs his hair again, sending a ripple of heat down his spine. The node within him coils and throbs, and he buries his face in her neck while ramping up the intensity of his thrusts, plowing into her hard enough to jolt the headboard into the wall. He chokes her name and she licks his Adam's apple then sinks her teeth into his shoulder, leaving bruises of her own.

"I need you to come," she says, and her voice ignites him further until he is mindless with need. He can distantly hear the slap of their flesh impacting, and he can hear her murmuring to him around her own sighs of pleasure, but that is all distant compared to the heat sunk into his core. It teases and rises and starts to unspool, and he forces his eyes open and drops his head so he can _see_ where they connect, where he dips into her and she welcomes him so completely.

" _Newt_. Let go," and it isn't a request, he isn't sure how she managed to take control of the situation, but her voice slices cleanly through the Gordian Knot containing his release, a snarl working its way out of his throat. She presses her open mouth to his and his vocalizations spill into her, growls and cries as he's flooded with heat. His toes curl into the sheets while his back bows under the onslaught. His cock twitches and pulses, his seed streaking from him hard enough to make his vision treble.

Then it's over, and he trembles as he holds up his weight. Newt's mind is curiously blank, vision fuzzy around the edges. He breathes deep, emitting a hiccuping gasp on every third or fourth breath until the haze clears enough for basic cognition to return. Then he gingerly eases himself out and off of her, wincing at the bruised soreness of his muscles, and collapses beside Tina.

Tina rolls and places an open palm on his chest, over the place where his heart hammers frantically. She looks worried as she watches him, and it takes a minute or two for his breathing to slow enough to speak. He lifts her palm to kiss it before sinking his head back into the sheets, closing his eyes in satisfaction. It isn't until she brushes a knuckled over his damp cheek that he realizes what concerns her, and a fissure of warmth that has nothing to do with sex spreads through him.

"So sorry," he husks. Newt fists his cheeks dry and gives Tina a watery smile. "Didn't mean to alarm you. I just...I find myself quite _overcome_ , really." He rolls to nuzzle their faces together before kissing her. "It's a release, and not just physically."

Tina seems satisfied with his explanation, for she teases his mouth before pulling away with a smile. "I need to clean up, and I need to eat." She bends, and the clean line of her back and thigh catch his eye, forcing him to swallow thickly. She rises with her pajamas and stands in one smooth motion, buttocks flexing as she crosses the floor. "I'll make some breakfast. Eggs okay?" She pokes her head back through the door while he nods mutely, and then she leaves.

Newt watches her go while quietly gathering the will to move. He can smell himself, a miasma of sex and pungent sweat, and the tang of her intimate fluids. The scent is on his skin and in his sheets, and he will put off washing them for as long as possible. The fragrance is far from unpleasant, and it's sure to fuel dreams.

He debates bathing before descending into the case for morning chores and dismisses the idea. The creatures will smell the change in his body, smell Tina all over him, and recognize that he has acquired a mate. Perhaps Ethel the Erumpent will be disappointed, but many of the other creatures will use this information to further assure his place in the hierarchy. They will also treat Tina with greater respect, and that prospect thrills him. He has every intention of making her a staple in their lives.

The smell of eggs wafts from the kitchen, and Newt realizes he's tarried too long. He's smiling, bright as the morning sun, as he stands to pull on his pajama bottoms, foregoing even underwear. Then he opens the latches on his case.


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: pregnancy _**smut**_ and an explanation as to why Newt freaked out so badly when Tina discovered she was pregnant. Don't read if that isn't your thing. ;)

* * *

Tina wakes before him, stirring to the pale light of dawn. She's always the first awake now since the child in her belly often chooses first light to start its regular contortions. She doesn't necessarily enjoy this fact but she's resigned to it, and she's grateful for whatever rest she can get, these days.

She rolls over to watch Newt sleep. He's burrowed into the pillow, covers pulled to his chin and snoring slightly. She smiles and brushes an errant curl off his forehead before heaving out of bed. She isn't large yet, but the change to her center of gravity is an adjustment, and she's terrified that she's going to make a serious misstep and hurt the child. So she's careful in all she does, and if that means getting out of bed is a five-minute process, so be it.

Tina uses the toilet and cleans up before starting breakfast, taking care to put a kettle on for tea. As sure as rain, the scent of cooking eggs and steeping tea rouses Newt from slumber, causing him to lurch to the table in lopsided pajamas, sporting an adorable case of bedhead. He sinks into a chair and stares fixedly at the table until Tina sets a plate of food and a teacup before him. She's careful to hide a smile as he drinks half the tea in one drought, seemingly unaffected by the heat. She knows that it will take at least one more cup to get him going, and regular infusions throughout the day to maintain his manic pace.

They eat in companionable silence, though Tina is careful to eat slowly. She feels much improved overall but mornings can sometimes be a challenge. Chewing thoroughly helps. Avoiding coffee helps even more, and she sips unenthusiastically at her own tea while Newt slowly comes alive across from her. He clears his plate and gets up for seconds, pausing to drop a kiss on her shoulder as he passes.

He cleans up when breakfast is finished and helps her dress. She is still adjusting to her new garments, the magically expanded waist on her slacks and the shirt that fits and flatters like a circus tent. The day promises to be warm and Tina isn't sure she can tolerate that heat, so she opts instead for a light linen skirt and a matching top. A silk camisole over a specially-modified corselet complete the ensemble, and she chooses the silk stockings for which Newt had previously expressed appreciation to round it out.

He doesn't comment, but she can see the softness in his eyes as he assists her, a mellowness that contains some small amount of heat as his stare lingers. It's been months since she's known his touch, and she thinks that today is perfect to change that. Her body seems to agree, if the fissure of warmth in her lower belly is any indication.

They open the windows in the apartment to allow it to air, welcoming the first truly warm spring day, and grab baskets. Then they link arms and walk, taking their time, through the No-Maj parts of Brooklyn to their preferred market. Newt hovers worriedly over the greens and fruits, while Tina sets her discerning nose to selecting only the freshest meats and fish. Tina leaves the haggling to Newt—his befuddled exterior camouflages a remarkably keen intellect, and he can barter like no other. They trade currency for food, load their baskets, and meander towards home.

They take their time on the walk, soaking in the sunshine and content in shared company. Tina turns her face toward the sky whenever she can, and Newt always waits for her patiently as she breathes and basks. She is alive and drunk with the day, enraptured with the green buds on the scant trees in the city, and delighted to find even the air seems cleaner than normal. She is equally enraptured with the man beside her, and by the time they reach the stairs leading to the apartment, she thinks he must be aware of it. His gaze has gone from warm to hot, and he pauses occasionally to drop kisses onto her palm, her wrist.

She catches him off-guard at the top of the stairs, turning at the landing to trap his lips. He melts into the contact with a sigh, his arms circling her full waist to pull her close, and when they break away he's breathing heavily and beaming at her.

"That was nice," he breathes as Tina runs an affectionate hand through his hair. He leans close to trap her again, a series of gentle pecks over her mouth and chin that cause her to quake momentarily and sag against him.

"There's plenty more where that came from, if you want it," she manages when he finally pulls back, and he leans further away to take her in. Tina inclines against the rail in what she hopes is a suggestive manner, though she suspects her shoddy balance and swollen ankles rather dispel the illusion. He eyes her before melting into a smile and moving close.

"I think I _do_ want it, to be honest," he mutters against her mouth, and kisses her with feeling.

Tina isn't sure how, but they manage to get up the stairs and into the bedroom without falling or breaking anything. They separate long enough to deposit their shopping on the table and shed their light spring jackets. Then he's maneuvering her to the boudoir, mouth damp and hot on the thin fabric covering her shoulders. She's vaguely aware that she's making soft, needy sounds and he's responding in kind, but his lips and hands dominate her focus until she gives herself to the maelstrom.

Tina fumbles with his waistcoat and shirt, desperate for contact, and he pulls away long enough to shed both. Then it's his boots, which he has to bend to unbuckle and toe off, hissing in displeasure all the while. Newt's mouth sears her when he comes back up, and he groans in his chest when she loosens the buttons on his trousers and underwear and pulls them both down. He steps out of them impatiently and then Tina's hand are on his length and they gasp into each other's mouths.

Newt allows her a few moments to touch him, to reacquaint herself with this most intimate part of his body before he places his hand over hers and breaks away to examine her. "Sit," he instructs, and she does, perched on the edge of the bed. He sinks to his knees before her and looks up at her earnestly. Then his hands go to the hem of her shirt and pull it off. He finds the waistband of her skirt and loosens it, and thinking becomes a challenge when her skirt is drawn down her legs, slow and teasingly.

His clever mouth traces the skin on her inner thigh, nipping the edge of her stocking before mewling happily. Tina can feel the moisture of his mouth bleeding into the fabric, and she experiences a swell of _want_ , unlike anything she'd felt before. She is instantly ready for him and has to tamp down the urge to pull him atop her and let him have his way.

Instead, she allows him to worship the skin of her thighs and hips, and to tease her garters until they are both panting. He gradually works his way up to loosen the stays on her corselet before helping her ease it off, and with it goes most of the rest of her undergarments. Then his mouth is on her breasts, careful to avoid her sensitive nipples, and it takes Tina a while to realize that the animal sounds she keeps hearing are issuing from _her_ throat.

Tired of waiting, Tina pushes him away and yanks off her camisole in one smooth motion. Her fuller breasts spring free, almost directly before Newt's face, and she has to duck her head to smother inappropriate laughter at his shocked face. More obvious is the swell of her stomach, an island of white skin and pale blue veins between them, and his hands drift down to touch it before he tips his head to the side.

Tina senses the run of his thoughts and hastens to settle the issue. "It's not a problem," she pants, trying desperately to tug him over her. "The witch-midwife said it was fine, remember? Just...just don't _push down_ on him or anything, okay?"

Newt quirks an inquisitive eyebrow. "Him?"

Tina rolls her eyes. "Yes, _him_. I've known we're going to have a boy since before we figured out what was going on. It will be a boy and his name will be Corvus and that's that. Now, can you _please_ take me to bed?"

She huffs an annoyed breath and Newt frowns. He catches her hands and holds them still, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against her skin.

" _Tina_. There's absolutely no reason to get worked up. I'm going to go to bed with you, but you must remain calm. Now please, take a deep breath for me."

He massages her hands until she grits her teeth and does as he asks, and after a minute or two she discovers she does feel better. Less _frantic_ about the whole thing.

He nods and guides one of her hands to the apex of her thighs, eyes gleaming. He bites his lip when he lets her go, then he takes himself in hand and looks into her face. "We aren't doing anything until we're both ready, and I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do a proper job of it." He pitches his voice lower, dropping a quarter octave and barely above a whisper. "Touch yourself for me, Tina, will you do that?"

Tina controls her breathing very carefully, and instead of answering uses her elbows and heels to pull herself further onto the bed, until she's propped against the pillows with her knees splayed. She catches his eye and slowly slides her fingers down to touch herself, taking a moment to tweak her nipples. Her stomach gets in the way but she angles her wrist and navigates by feel, until she's got two fingers spreading her outer lips, revealing the slick channel of her cunt. Newt watches, thoroughly transfixed. He strokes his length almost absently, focused entirely on her, so Tina makes every effort to put on a good show.

She moves her other hand to dip two fingers into herself, sucking in a quick breath at the sensation. Tina sets a steady pace, alternating her strokes with the occasional swipe at her clit, and Newt mirrors her movements on himself, hips swaying gently. She's panting before long, poised on the edge, and she whines when he shifts forward and brushes against her.

"Newt, _please_!" She pleads, and he nods shakily and moves closer. She feels him huff a quick breath when he covers her and discovers that the swell of her stomach prevents him from obtaining the proper angle. Nonplussed, he grabs a pillow from behind her and works it under her hips, propping them higher into the air. He then kneels and aligns their cores, her prone on her back, him on his haunches and using her hips to anchor himself.

"Are you ready?" Newt asks, and when she nods a little desperately, he sinks in. His eyes drift closed and his head falls back when they are flush, throat working. Tina takes a moment to appreciate the sight before shifting her legs, stretching them so her calves rest on his shoulders and the strain is off her ligaments. Like this, she can grasp his narrow hips to urge him along, which she does. He groans and sweeps his eyes over her before withdrawing almost completely, hesitating on the precipice to catch her eye and smile a little wildly, before sinking back in.

The friction and pressure of his simple tempo are enough to make her cry out, fingers digging into his hips. Tina isn't sure if it's her altered physical state or their adventurous teasing of before, but she's on the brink already, legs trembling in anticipation. He turns his head to kiss her calf before murmuring against her skin, "Go 'head Tina. I've got you." She nods and urges him faster, mouth falling open in bliss, and with a few more strokes she's _there_ , pulsing heat chasing through her while he embraces her legs and sighs deeply.

It is the longest and most _thorough_ orgasm she's ever experienced, and it seems to work through her entirely. Every inch of her body is set aflame, and she hears him utter a curse as she clamps around him, milking his length to maximize the friction. It goes on and on until she stiffens her arms to halt his steady thrusting, overcome and shuddering weakly.

"Too much," Tina gasps and Newt stops immediately. He hesitates before curling above her and claiming her mouth. They kiss softly, lips barely touching until she's calm and her breathing has returned to normal. Then Tina winces and rubs the large muscle of her thighs, trying to encourage blood flow. "Sorry," she mumbles, but he voices no complaint, just eases her legs off his shoulders and rubs them until they no longer tingle.

He's still hard when she calms down, so she rolls onto her side and maneuvers him behind her. "Like this," she declares, and it takes a few tries but he figures out that draping her leg over his hip works best, that he can ease into her from behind and rock them together. His hand snakes around her to grip her neck, a primal action that causes them both to growl territorially. He moves in solid beats that see him buried within her completely, and any attempts he makes at speaking are lost in motion.

The novel angle and dominant posturing of her partner combine to tease another orgasm out of Tina, and she gives herself to it completely. She gasps and trembles as she comes undone, and neither it nor Newt relents while she's in its thrall. She quivers around him and he swears again, foreign words that reverberate through her skin and sink into her core. His teeth find the point of her shoulder and dig in as he shivers, and within moments he's gasping her name and clutching painfully. With a deep groan and one last powerful thrust he is released, twitching frantically inside her while he bites and licks the nape of her neck.

He pants against her skin until she flexes her leg, subtly trying to indicate she's gone numb (again). He rolls onto his back and sits up shakily before lifting her leg and massaging the sore muscles. "Ah," he says, and his voice is still wrecked. "So sorry. Didn't mean to hurt you." He kisses her knee apologetically.

Tina waves feebly, eyes heavy with completion. "'m fine," she manages, and she places a fond hand on her swollen stomach. "I think we put him to sleep, though. All that rocking."

Newt nods and makes a noncommittal sound before raking his eyes over her, seemingly taking in every inch. He puts his hand over hers and speaks directly to her stomach. "Be good to your mother, you little blighter," he admonishes. "She's the only one you'll ever have, and you're already a dreadful burden."

He then grows serious and looks at her, one hand tracing the faint blue veins on her breast while the other threads their fingers together. "You are _remarkably_ beautiful like this, Tina, and I know I don't say it enough."

Tina comes awake all at once, the timbre of his voice yanking her from her drowse. She doesn't react other than to widen her eyes, knowing that any overt emotionalism will cause him to retreat into nervousness. He refuses to look at her as he goes on, hand brushing her skin hypnotically. "I acted a terrible prat when we discovered your condition. It was an inappropriate reaction, and the way I treated you afterward was unforgivable. For that, I am sorry."

His eyes flick to her face, gauging her emotional barometer, before curling their fingers together. He takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out slowly. "I can offer no excuse or justification that is valid. However, I can say that much of my distress came from the unexpected nature of the situation. I sustained...certain injuries, during The Great War. One happened just before the program I worked with was discontinued, and when I returned to England for treatment I was assured that bearing children would be a physical impossibility for me."

Newt squeezes his eyes shut, though whether in pained remembrance or self-reproach, Tina can't say. "There were tests performed, of course. The healers spent days confirming their theory, quite past the point when I was ready to return home. Upon my return to London, Theseus pestered me about the delay until I told him that it would be his sole responsibility to carry on the family name. He was _not_ happy about that prospect, but he was more displeased with what had happened to me. Then you came along, Tina, and I meant to tell you eventually but..."

He makes a helpless gesture before opening his eyes, and Tina gathers him into her arms and kisses his forehead, the salt of his sweat tangy against her lips.

"Then I came along and _threw_ myself at you, is what you mean," she murmurs, and when he opens his mouth to protest she shushes him. "No, it's all right. It's essentially the truth, isn't it? I'm not innocent in all this. Yes, you over-reacted, and yes, you hurt me when you pushed us away—but I didn't stop to think that _this_ could happen, either. It just never registered. So in the end, we are both responsible."

Newt makes a miserable sound and Tina rolls her eyes good-naturedly. She pulls him close before shoving him away playfully, and he can't contain the small, toothy grin the action provokes, despite the tears. "I'll forgive you someday," she says, voice a serious contrast to their playful actions. "But you have to promise me that you won't run away, or...or _hide_ in the future if something else like this happens. Because we're in this together...aren't we?"

Newt's eyes are luminous when he takes in her face, and his mouth relaxes into the smile he saves just for her. "Yes, Tina," is his reply, voice firm with conviction. "We're in this together."

Tina smiles back, equally as gentle. "Good. That's good, Newt."


	3. Chapter 3

Newt watches Tina leave, footfalls stealthy in deference to their drowsing child, before turning his attention back to the babe in his arms.

Corvus is close to sleep, slowing down his sucking and milk dribbling over his chin as he dozes. Newt eases the nipple from his mouth and watches him carefully; his son's mouth forms a perfect moue before he yawns, apparently bored with the whole thing. Face splitting into a grin, Newt raises him to his shoulder and pats him. Once the child's been burped, he settles him into his cradle, ensures he's safe and warm and casts a charm designed to keep nightmares and spirits away.

He turns back at the door for one last loving look at his son, before padding to the room he shares with Tina.

She's in bed already, naked as the day she was born, laying on her side with her head propped on one arm and sporting a teasing smile. Newt freezes, and suddenly it's their first time all again, only in reverse because _he's_ the one hovering uncertainly, and she's encouraging him. Tina's smile unfurls into something slow and warm that promises _more as_ she pats the empty space beside her.

Newt trips over the clinging leg of his pajamas in his haste to get into the bed, and he feels his cheeks flush. Tina flicks her wand at her abdomen and mumbles the contraceptive charm, then places it on the side-table as he kneels over her to take in the full effect of her figure.

There are some obvious changes to her body. Her breasts are larger than is typical for her, if softer and somewhat spongier. Her nipples are still dark and large and _ripe_ , perfect for nourishing the creature they've created together. Her stomach is softer too, with the smallest lingering bump that Tina despairs of and Newt secretly adores. Then there are the thready silver-purple lines flecking her hips and inner thigh, scars formed where her body had stretched to accommodate a miracle.

All these and more, and not a single one _detracting_ from her beauty. If anything, in his eyes, they add an additional layer to her radiance, because now he knows what she is capable of doing, and what she is able to endure.

His appraisal unnerves Tina, for she's fidgeting and looking away when he finally takes in her face. Newt gives her his strongest smile while bending to kiss her mouth, her sculpted lips perhaps his favorite feature of all. "Beautiful," he whispers, and drags his tongue over her jaw and neck. "Remarkable," he murmurs against the swell of her breast, careful to avoid the stiff peak. "Lovely," and it's her stomach he speaks to, dipping his tongue into her navel before dragging it down, down, down.

Newt tastes the musk of her curls before settling between her thighs, parting them gently. Her outer lips are already flushed and gleaming with moisture, and he hums in satisfaction before leaning forward and flicking his tongue over her teasingly. She exhales sharply, and he smirks before lifting his head and spreading her open with calloused fingers.

There are changes here, too. The pink interior still resembles the sweetest rose, but the barest of silver threads bisects it cleanly, evidence of where her limits had been reached and surpassed. He had paid special attention to healing this part of her, in the whirlwind of activity immediately following Corvus' birth, and it appears to have given her no pain or trouble. Still, he draws a gentle finger over it and watches her face carefully for signs of distress.

She hisses and arches, fisting the sheets, and he hides a grin against her leg. No trouble, then. No apparent loss of sensitivity either, if her reaction is any indication. Tina's scent and obvious response, her willingness to accept his amorous intentions after all she'd endured, galvanizes him. He leans forward without preamble and runs the tip of his tongue the entire length of her, causing her to buck and cry out.

Newt commits himself to the task fully, utilizing lips and teeth and tongue to kiss and nibble and lick, until Tina's arching violently and clenching the sheets. He can feel the vibrations of her cries against his face, and he's careful to keep his hands away from the most intimate part of her. He wants to see her come undone using only his mouth, to leave her panting and sated before he fills her and urges her to the edge a second time.

He knows she's close when she begins to buck away from him, so he hums in warning and wraps his arms around her hips, effectively containing her. Tina's hands bury into his hair and pull until it stings, but that only spurs him on, and when he wraps his mouth around her clit and _sucks_ , she keens and flails and comes hard enough to coat his face in moisture. He lingers until the pulsations against his mouth have ceased before dropping one last kiss and pulling away.

Tina's arms and legs are splayed across the bed, her pupils blown wide and hair in disarray. Newt moves to cover her and she grapples his head and pulls him close. " _In_ ," she hisses, rolling her hips while her legs encircle his waist. Her mouth finds the moisture on his face and she licks it obscenely, tongue rasping against his ever-present stubble. "In, Newt, please, please, _please_!"

" _Yes_ ," he husks, body taut with sudden need. He fumbles to align them as her nails rake his sides. He's careful to initiate and maintain intense eye-contact as he peels away her outer boundaries and fills her, mouth falling open in bliss. Tina mewls and rocks her head back, exposing the clean line of her jaw and throat, and Newt runs his tongue out to flick the skin there while a proprietorial hand moves to her neck. As it always is with her, he's swept with fierce possessiveness and protectiveness in equal measure, intent only on seeing her satisfied.

"Mine," he gasps, and her mouth sears when he claims it. He sets them into a deep, slow rhythm as she crosses her legs over his back, maintaining his grip on her neck while they breathe and rock together. Newt inhales her pleasure and exhales it back into her as she reposes wantonly beneath him, her arms spread to clutch the sheets, her head sunken into the mattress. He exhales shakily and drops a tender kiss into the hollow of her throat. "Mine," he repeats devotedly. "Tina, you are mine, and I am _entirely_ yours."

Tina opens her eyes, body taut against him. "Yes," she breathes, and her smile is equally tremulous. "We belong to each other." Her hands rise to caress his face and he turns his head to drop a series of butterfly kisses along her wrist. Newt watches her eyes turn liquid and lose focus, gaze cast inward in this final moment of bliss, and then she's coming—choking his name as she trembles beneath him. He screws his eyes shut to ignore the _pull_ of her until it's over, and she is left panting and satiated.

His Tina calms in increments, descending from the peak in waves until she rolls her shoulders and lifts her head for a kiss. "I think it's your turn," she murmurs against his mouth. He feels his lips thin when she twitches her hips suggestively. Tina nibbles his ear and her mouth is hot when she breathes, "That's two for me, but now I want to feel you come, Newt."

Newt growls and nods jerkily before using his hands to encourage her to lower her legs from his back, adjusting to prop himself on his palms, rising over her. He gulps a few deep breaths and shifts his hips, altering the force and angle of his advance, driving into her powerfully. Tina murmurs encouragements and as he lowers his head to watch himself plunge into her, her fingers dancing around the place they are connected to pleasure herself in time with his thrusts.

Newt registers a moment of regret that he won't be able to see her to a third climax. Then the sting of orgasm sweeps him and he growls her name when he comes, groaning helplessly and shuddering into her. Tina sighs in welcome and clutches his forearms, dark eyes taking in his face. When it's over and he can exert some measure of control over his body, he sways to a halt and gulps, keeping himself firmly inside her until their breathing calms.

"I meant it," he says when she is mollified and he's no longer trembling. It's not a conscious decision to speak but orgasm has always eroded his sensibilities, so he draws a deep breath before plowing on. "About you. About _us_. I am yours, and I can picture no other woman in my life except you. How would you feel if we, uh, made a more permanent commitment?"

Tina raises an incredulous eyebrow while her mouth takes on a sardonic slant. " _Newt_. Look at where we are. Do you really think _this_ is the place for that conversation?"

Newt lowers his gaze to take in the way they are tangled together, the indecent sprawl of their limbs and nods once. "Right. Sorry. I'll just—" He withdraws from her, wincing at the indecent spurt of fluids that trails behind, and arranges himself at her side. He flicks his wand to clean them up and draws the blankets over them both. Then he tucks her into his chest and tries again.

"Tina. I've been thinking, and I realize I should have done this a while ago, and this may not be the ideal place or time to ask but then, I've never been ideal for _much_ where you're concerned, and I realize I'm buggering this entirely, but—Tina, would you like to make this arrangement permanent? Would you permit me to be by your side as your partner, the father of your child, and your husband?"

Newt can _feel_ her thinking while he holds his breath in the silence that follows. He can picture her gnawing her lip until she stirs and turns her head into him. He can't bear to look at her, terrified of the expression she wears. "My answer depends on an answer of your own," Tina says finally, and her voice is frighteningly neutral. "Do you want more children?"

He isn't expecting that, and the answer comes easily. "No. I never imagined myself as a father, and now that I am one...I have no urge to repeat the experience." He dares a glance at her face and it's as he imagined: she's gnawing her lip, a worried line wrinkling her brow. He tousles her hair, drops a kiss onto her forehead, and tries to look reassuring.

Tina finally lifts her eyes to him and her face smooths. "Good. That's good. Since we agree we don't want any more kids, I'm going to visit a healer and make it permanent. I can't do that again. I _can't_." She tightens her jaw and swallows, and he watches as her eyes fill with light. "As long as you're okay with it just being the three of us, then yes, Newt. Yes, I'll marry you. I'll even take your name."

She giggles and breaks into a delighted grin when drops kisses all over her forehead, her cheeks, and the bridge of her nose. She steals his breath when she kisses him back, lingering on the scars that fleck his lips, eyebrow, and jaw before pressing her face into his shoulder. "My Tina," Newt sighs delightedly, and her arms tighten around him.

"I love you," she answers, and he keeps her close and tucks her firmly into the blankets, and eventually he drifts off to sleep chasing the mental image of Tina beneath the blue arch of the sky, resplendent in white and waiting for _him_.


End file.
